Cairo, 18 December, 2008
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said today that the reappearance of the two young bloggers Mohamed Adil (http://43arb.info/meit) and Abdel Aziz Mogahed (http://elmogahed02.blogspot.com) more than thirty days after their disappearance was brought about through an investigation by the supreme state security prosecutor. This was with regard to their indictment under law 1414, 2008, by the supreme state security, for affiliation to a banned group – the Muslim brotherhood – which aims to obstruct state institutions in the practice of their duty, by means including terrorism, and which attempts to obstruct constitutional provisions.
Part of the investigation into the case of the bloggers, which will be resumed next Saturday, 20th December, has revealed that they were held in the offices of state security detectives in Nasr City, before an order was issued for their arrest and the transfer of Mohamed Adil to Tura prison and Mogahed to Wadi Natrun prison, until they were involved in the case. The Muslim Brotherhood was aware of this which reveals a suspicious collaboration between the security apparatus and the Muslim brotherhood, through which the young men were offered as scapegoats, along with Dr. Gamal Abdel Salam, the officer of the Relief Committee of the Arab Doctors Union, in order to relieve the security pressure on the Muslim Brotherhood.
The fact that the overwhelming questions posed by state security concern the opinions and beliefs of the two young bloggers and not their supposed crimes and illegal practices indicates that the case was swiftly fabricated just after this deal. The Arabic Network lawyers attending the investigation have brought arguments concerning how legal it is to criminalize opinions and inspect consciences, instead of concentrating on the actual practices attributed to these two young men. The point is that this confused the head of the prosecution who was expecting ANHRI’s lawyers to be aware of this investigation formality!
In a statement released today, ANHRI said:
“It is shameful of the Muslim Brotherhood and the security apparatus to sacrifice two men both under the age of twenty two, in a dirty deal that could possibly destroy their futures, no matter whether were referred to supreme state security court or military courts. Neither of the bloggers has committed a crime except for writing on their blogs and empathizing with Palestinian people”.
Rawda Ahmed, director of ANHRI’s Legal Aid Unit for Freedom of Expression said:
“The direction that the current investigation is taking, focusing on the opinions of the bloggers, made us determined to defend them, and identify them as prisoners of conscience.”
It is noteworthy that the Arabic Network has filed a case against the minister of the interior in the state council requiring that he identify the place where blogger Mohamed Adil was detained and the reasons for his arrest, which is scheduled to be presented on 20th January 2009.
Abdel Aziz Mogahed was lured to the quarter of state security detectives in Helwan city on 3rd November, through tapping into his laptop computer, which had previously been seized, when he was held for twenty two days before transferring him on the 25th November to Natrun prison.
The rule established unlawfully by the security apparatus will be applied to the young bloggers, leaving them on remand, until after the end of their detention term according to emergency law.
